Game-trap.



J. H. SHAW.

GAME TRAP. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1912.

' Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

INVEN T OR.

JOHN" H. SHAW, or new HAVEN,

,ooota'e.

.I all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. SHAW, a itizen of the United States,residing at New l aven, county of New Haven, and State of onnecticut,have invented certain new and iseful Improvements in Game-Traps, of hichthe following is a full, clear, and

description.

, This invention relates to game traps, and particularly to theconstruction of the base supporting the jaws, and to the relation withrespect to the base of the plate or strip 'gger mechathe plate or stripsupporting and trigger mechanism is riveted to the base for the jaws,and said Ordinarily, bait pan metal extending continuously from thesupport at one end of the jaws to the support at the other end of thejaws. Very often, the base is formed of a single strip of metal havingupturned integral ends with perforations in which the ends of the jawsare fitted. The arrangement above described has the disadvantage that itis practically impossible to take the trap apart for repairs, so thatwhen the bait pan or trigger mechanism is broken the whole trap must bethrown away. Moreover, if one of the jaws is broken or injured in anyway, it is very often a diflicult matter to remove it from the base, andit is even more diflicult I to replace it with a new jaw, the base beingof sufficient rigidity to resist very strongly any bending movement,such as would permit the introduction of the end portions of I a new jawor jaws into the perforated lugs I rising from the base. The object ofmy invention is to remedy these various defects, and to provide a trapin which the various parts can be very readily taken apart andreassembled. In my invention, the replacement of the jaws, base i andbait pan carrier is a very simple matter, and the construction ispractically as simple and strong as that of the ordinary trapsheretofore in use.

To these and other ends, the invention I consists in the novel featuresand combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a trapembodying the i invention, showing the bait pan in back- CONNECTICUT, onNEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, A coarona'rron or CONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

base is formed as a single plate or strip of UNITED STATES PATENTGFFIOE.

ASSIGNOR 'ro saaennr & COMPANY,

GAME-TRAP.

Patented Mar. 17, 1914.

Application filed June 5, 1912. Serial No. 701,815.

wardly tilted position, and Fig. 2 is a horizontal longitudinal sectionon line 22 of Fig. 1, also showing the bait pan tilted back over thetrigger mechanism.

Referring to the drawing, A indicates the base of the trap, which isformed of two sections, 5 and 6. These sections have at their meetingextremities portions 5 and 6 respectively which overlap each other, andare secured together by a bolt 7, having a nut 8 at the upper surface ofthe base. The section 5 is provided at the end opposite the connectionwith the section 6, with an integral lug 9, having perforations toreceive the pivots or trunnions of jaws 10. In a similar manner, thesection 6 is provided with an upturned perforated lug 11 to receive theopposite pivotal ends of the jaws 10. These jaws are normally heldtogether in their raised position by a V-shaped spring 12 having at oneend an eye l2 embracing the lug 11, and provided at the opposite endwith a similar eye 12 embracing the upright ortions of the jaws 10.

The strip or p ate 1 extends transversely beneath the base A, andcarries the bait pan 14, with which cooperates a trigger 15. The baitpan strip or support 13 extends under. the overlapping ends 5, 6 of thebase sections 5 and 6, and it is detachably secured to said sections bythe bolt 7. I11 order to provide a firm flat support for the trap, thelower surface of the strip 13 fits in a recess formed by offsetting theends 5 (3 of the base sections, so that the lower surface of the strip13 is substantially flush with the lower surfaces of the main parts ofthe sec tions 5 and 6. The head of the bolt 7 is countersunk in thestrip 13, as indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, so as not toproject beyond the flat base of the trap.

l/Vhen the bait pan or trigger mechanism is injured or broken, the baitpan bar or strip 13 may be easily removed from the trap by removing thebolt 7 as will be understood, after which the same strip or bar, oranother strip or bar, can be assembled in the trap. If one of the jaws10 becomes injured or broken, it can be taken out of the trap veryquickly by removing the bolt 7 and disconnecting the sections 5 and 6,which can then be readily slipped over the pivots or trunnions at theend of the jaw. Anew jaw may be easily placed in the trap by bringingtogether sections 5 and 6 in such a manner that the perforations in thelugs 9 and 11 take over the trunnions or pivots at the ends of the jaw,after which the bolt 7 is replaced with the parts in the position shownin Fig. 1.

It will therefore be understood that my invention provides a trap ofextreme simplicity, which can be readily taken apart and re-assembled,for the repair and replacement of the various parts, including theactuating spring.

iVhile the foregoing description is a detailed one, in so far as itconcerns the particular embodiment of my inventionselected forillustration, it will be manifest that many modifications of theconstruction may be adopted within the scope of my invention.

hat I claim is:

1. In a game trap, the combination of jaws, a base for said jawscomposed of separate sections, a bait pan support and a single memberfor inter-connecting the base sec tions detachably and securing the baitpan support detachably to the base; substantially as described.

2. In a game trap, the combination of jaws, operating means therefor, abase for said jaws composed of sections having their adjacent endslocated intermediate of the ends of the base, means securing said jawsto said base and providing for the release of the same from the base assaid sections are separated, a bait pan, a bait pan support, and a boltfor detachably securing together the base sections and the bait pansupport, substantially as described.

3. In a game trap, a base comprising sections having ends which overlapintermediate of the length of the base, said overlapping'ends beingoffset to provide a transverse recess in the base, a bait pan supportingbar located in said recess, and means for detachably securingtheoverlapping endsof the base sections to each other and to the baitpan support; substantially as described.

at. In a game trap, the combination of jaws, operating means therefor, abase for said aws divided intermediate of the ends of the base intoseparate sections, means securing said jaws to said base and providingfor the release of the same from the base as said sections areseparated, means to secure said sections detachably together, a baitpan, and a bait pan support carried by said base, substantially asdescribed.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand on the 3rd day of June,1912.,

J OHN II. SI-IAW. Witnesses: I

SYDNEY F. SARGENT, BERTHA RAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. G. I i

